Numerical procedure for identification of water capacity of porous media

An inverse problem is formulated to determine water capacity of porous medi a. Mathematical model of the problem involves a nonlinear parabolic equatio n in which the coefficient representing water capacity is unknown and to be determined from over specified data measured on the boundary. By using pol ygonal approximation for the unknown coefficient and by eliminating it in t he equation using over specified data, the problem is transformed into the standard nonlinear initial boundary value problem. This problem is solved b y the finite difference method and unknown coefficient is determined from t he numerically obtained solution. A numerical procedure and examples are pr esented. (C) 2000 IMACS/Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.